Laminated container

ABSTRACT

A laminated container has an outer box with an intermediate liner and an inner liner. A tear strip extends around the outer box for separating an upper portion of the outer box from a lower portion of the outer box. A lower portion of the intermediate liner is glued to the lower portion of the outer box while the intermediate and inner liners are glued together.

United States Patent [1 1 Bamburg et al.

[451 Oct. 7, 1975 1 1 LAMINATED CONTAINER [75] Inventors: Robert A. Bamburg West Monroe, 'La.; Harry K. Hubenthal, Fulshear, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Olinkraft, Inc., West Monroe, La.

[22] Filed: Nov. 29, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 420,183

[52] U.S. Cl. 229/14 R; 229/51 R; 229/51 DB [51] Int. Cl. B05D 13/00 [58} Field of Search 229/14 R, 14 B1, 14 C,

229/14 H, 51 R, 51DB, 51 8,51 AS, 51 TS, 51 TC, 51 SC, 51 D [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,012,131 9/1932 Kondolf 229/14 R X 2,577,588 12/1951 Paige 229/14 R X 2,845,210 7/1958 Fischer..... 229/14 R 3,291,372 12/1966 Saidel l 229/14 R X 3,620,439 11/1971 Morse et a1. 229/51 DB X 3,744,702 7/1973 Ellison 229/14 R X Primary ExaminerDonald E. Watkins Attorney, Agent, or FirmAnthony A. OBrien; Norvell E. Von Behren 57] I ABSTRACT A laminated container has an outer box with an intermediate liner and an inner liner. A tear strip extends around the outer box for separating an upper portion of the outer box from a lower portion of the outer box. A lowerportion of the intermediate liner is glued to the lower portion of the outer box while the intermediate and' inner liners are glued together.

11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 7,1975

LAMINATED CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention The invention relates to laminated containers and, in particular, to corrugated paperboard or cardboard containers for shipping and storing quantities of bulk flow able material, such as polyethylene pellets.

2. Description of the prior art The prior art, as exemplified in US. 1 Pat. Nos. 2,275,896, 3,014,630, 3,134,531, 3,291,372, 3,726,467 and 3,744,702, includes many laminated containers constructed of corrugated paperboard or cardboard designed to contain various materials including bulk flowable material. Many of the prior art corrugated paperboard containers are incapable of containing relatively large quantities of flowable bulk material since they do not have sufficient strength in the side walls and corners to withstand the force or pressure exerted by the flowable material. Also, several of the prior art containers when opened have flaps which interfere with removal of the material and which are not readily reclosable to store unused portions of material in the container. Other prior art containers have liners with tab panels forming overlapping joints resulting in additional sharp corners which tend to interfere with removal of bulk material well as the replacement of telescoping tops.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is summarized in that a laminated container comprises an outer box having five serially hinged side panels, a bottom, and a top, one of said outer box side panels beingon one end of the series of outer box side panels for overlapping the outer box side panel on the other end of the series of outer box side panels to form a joint, said outer box side panels having a tear strip extending longitudinally along the series of outer box side panels a predetermined distance below the top for separating a top portion of the outer box from a lower portion of the outer box; an intermediate liner; and an inner liner; one of said intermediate liner and said inner liner having four serially hinged panels, the ends of the series of one liner panels capable of forming an abutting corner joint; the other of said intermediate liner and said inner liner having five serially hinged panels, the end panels of the series of other liner panels having a combined size corresponding to a respective one of the panels of said one liner panel for forming an abutting side joint; said outer box' side panels, said intermediate liner panels,'andsaid inner liner BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view with portions broken away of a laminated container in accordance with the invention.

I FIG. 2 is a perspective view taken at an angle extend- 9 ing from the bottom of the container shown in FIG. I.

panels forming respective plies of the sides of the container with the inner liner panels being glued to respective intermediate liner panels and with lower portions of the intermediate linerpanels being glued to the respective lower portions of the outer box side panels.

An object of the invention is to construct a container having improved strength'at side walls as well as at corners joining the side walls.' 7 i Another object of the invention is to provide a container with a removable top which can be readily slipped over a liner portion of the container toreclose the container.

One advantage of the invention is that a novel construction for a liner in a container forms a smooth inside wall surface for allowing complete and easy removal of a material within the container aswell as FIG. 3 is a cross section view of a portion of the container shown in FIG. 1 taken along lines 3-3.

FIG. 4 is a plan cross sectional view of a modified laminated container in accordance with the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As illustrated in FIG. I, a laminated container in accordance with the invention includes an outer box having side walls formed from five serially hinged panels 10, l2, 14, I6 and 18 whereinthe panel 18 is secured, for example, by glue to the panel 10 in an overlapping relationship to form a joint. Flaps 20, 22, 24 and 26 are hinged on the upper edges of the respective panels l0, l2, l4 and 16 to be folded and secured together in a conventional manner to form a top for the container. As shown in FIG. 2, a bellows-type bottom for the container has a rectangular panel 28, a triangular panel 30, a rectangular panel 32, a triangular panel 34 and a rectangular panel 36 hinged at the bottom edges of the respective side panels 10,12, 14, I6 and 18. A fold panel 40 is hinged at score line 42 to the panel 28 and at score line 44 to the panel 30; a fold panel 46 is hinged at score line 48 to the panel 30 and at score line 50 to the panel 32; a fold panel 52 is hinged at score line 54 to the panel 32 and at score line 56 to panel 34; and a fold panel 58 is hinged at score line 60 to the panel 34 andv at score line 62 to the panel 36. The bellows bottom is designed to be folded as shown, and the adjoining edges of the pancls 28 and 33 and the panels 12 and 16 are designed to be taped together to seal the bottom to prevent leakage of material from the bottom.

An intermediate liner of the container includes four serially hinged panels 68, 70, 72 and 74. The panels 74 and 68 on' the ends of the series of intermediate liner panels form an abutting joint in the same corner where the overlapping panel 18 forms a joint with the panel 10. An inner liner of the container includes five serially connected panels 78, 80, 82, 84 and 86 with the end panels 78 and 86 forming an abutting joint. The panels 10, 68 and 80 have substantially similar dimensions in that their height and width is substantially the same", the panels 10, 68 and 80 can be made to have slightly decreasing widths'to allow for the telescoped structure. Similarly, the panels 12, and 82 have substantially similar dimensions, the panels I4, 72 and 84 have sub stantially similar dimensions, and the panels 16 and 74 have substantially similar dimensions. The panels 86 I and 78 when abutted have a combined height and width which is substantially the same as the height and width of the panels 74 and 16.

The outer box and the liners are preferably made of a corrugated paperboard or cardboard having at least one corrugated layer sandwiched between flat layers. Paperboard having a plurality of corrugated layers sandwiched between flat layers can be employed with equal success. For example, in FIG. 3, the outer box is made of paperboard having a single corrugated layer sandwiched between two flat layers, and the intermediate and inner liners are made of paperboard having two corrugated layers sandwiched between three flat layers.

The inner liner and the intermediate liner are glued together, as indicated by the stippling, so that the panels 78 and 86 of the inner liner secure the joint between the panels 68 and 74 of the intermediate liner. The panel 74 of the intermediate liner joins the panels 78 and 86 of the inner liner.

A tear tape including portions 92 and 94 is secured around the inner circumference of the outer box longitudinally along the panels 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18..The

tear tape portions 92 and 94 determine respective tear strip portions of the outer box extending in opposite directions from tabs 90 and 96 a predetermined distance below the top of the container. Conveniently, the tear tapes 92 and 94 are formedfrom a continuous length of strand reinforced pressure sensitive adhesive tape applied to the inside of the paperboard blank forming the outer box, the tape being severed into the portions 92 and 94 when the tabs 90 and 96 are punched into the blank. The intermediate liner is secured to the outer box by glue as indicated by the stippling only below the tear tape portions 92 and 94 to allow the upper portion of the outer box to be separated from the lower portion of the outer box and form a top for the container which telescopes over the intermediate and inner liners;

It is particularly advantageous that both the intermediate liner and the inner liner form abutting joints, i.e., seams without any substantial separation of the abutting edges of the panels. Thus, when the tear tapes 92 and 94 and the overlying portions of the outer box are ripped, the external surface of the intermediate liner panels 68, 70, 72 and 74 forms a smooth surface for allowing the top portion of the outer box to be telescopically removed and reassembled. Overlapping joints in liners of the prior art present short overlapping sections which interfere with the reassembling of telescoping top portions on the containers.

Similarly, the absence of an interior overlapping panel extending into the interior of the container allows the contents of the container to be more easily re moved. For example, a straight edge of a scoop can be engaged with the full length of the interior surface of each side of the container allowing the scoop to readily pick up bulk material in the container; prior art over: lapping panels form an additional corner in the interior 7 impeding the engagement of a straight edge of a scoop and the panel 18 is glued to the panel 10 to form a manufacturers joint.

The employment of a long tear tape portion 92 which extends from the tab along panels 10, 12,, 14, 16 and 18, in that order, allows the tear strip portion overlying the tape portion 92 to be removed by ripping the tab 90 and the tear tape portion 92 from around the container. During the ripping of the tape portion 92 from the panel 18, force is applied to the panel 18 initially adjacent the hinge line with panel 16 avoiding initial force on the free vertical edge of the panel 18 which would tend to pull the panel 18 from the glued junction with the panel 10. Also, the ripping force is generally applied in the direction of the overlap of the panel 18.

A modified container, shown inFlG. 4,"has parts identified by the same'reference numerals used to identify parts of the container shown in FIGS. 13 to indicate that such similarly identifiedparts have substantially similar functions and/or structure. The modified box has an inner liner formed from four serially hinged panels 102, 104, 106 and108, and has an intermediate liner formed from five serially hinged panels 112, 114,

1 l6, 1 l8 and 120. The intermediate liner has the panels and 112 which abut andjointly extend coexten sively with the inner liner panel 102 and the outer liner panel 14 while the panels 102 and 108 form an abutting corner joint. The overlapping panel 120 and the joint between the panels 102 and 108 are in the corner diag-f onally opposite to the manufacturers joint between.

panels 18 and 10. The inner liner is glued to the intermediate liner and a lower portion of the outer box below a tear strip is glued to a lower portion of the intermediate liner in the same manner as the embodiment in FIGS. 1,2 and 3.

Since many changes in detail, variations, or modifications can be made to the present embodiments, it is in.

tended that, all subject matter in the description or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in'a -limiting sense.

What is claimed. is: l. A laminated container comprising an outer box having five serially hinged side panels,

a bottom, and a top, one of said outer box side panels'being on one end of the series of outer box side panels for overlapping the outer box side panel on the other end of the series of outer box side panels to form a joint, said outer box side panels having a tear strip extending longitudinally along the series of outer boxside panels apredetermined distance below the top forseparating a top portion of the outer box from a lower portion of the outer box; an intermediate liner; and

an inner liner; 4 one of said intermediate liner and'said inner liner having four serially hinged panels, the ends of the series of one liner panels forming an abutting corner joint without any substantial. separation of the abutting ends of the series of one liner panels; the other of said intermediate .liner and said inner liner having five serially hinged panels, the end panels of the series of other liner panels having a combined size corresponding to a respective one of the panels of said one liner and forming an abutting side joint without any substantial separation of the abutting ends of the series of other liner panels; said outer box side panels, said intermediate liner panels and said inner liner panels forming respective plies of the sides ofthe container with the inner liner panels glued to respective intermediate liner panels and lower portions of the intermediate liner panels glued to the respective lower portions of the outer box side panels. v

2. A laminated container comprising an outer box having five serially hinged side panels,

. 6 said outer box side panels, said intermediate liner panels and said inner liner panels forming respective plies of the sides of the container with the inner liner panels glued to respective intermediate liner 5 panels and lower portionsof the intermediate liner panels glued to the respective lowerportions of the outer box side panels. 4. A laminated container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tear strip includes an adhesive tear tape attached to an interior surface of the outer box side panels. 5 A laminated container comprising an outer box having five serially hinged side panels,

a bottom, and a top, one of said outer box side panbelow the p for Separating top portion els being on one end of the series of outer box side outer box from a lower portion of the outer box; panels for Overlapping the outer box Side panel on an lmermfadlme lmeri and the other end of the series of outer box side panels mfler to form a joint, said outer box side panels having a Smd 'mcrmcd'atc lmer having l" Wally i 1O tear strip extending longitudinally along the series panels, the ends of the serics of intermediateliner of Outer box Side panels a predetermined distance panels capable of forming an abutting corner oint; below the top f r separating a top portion of the said inner liner having five serially hinged panels, the Outer box from a lower portion of the Outer end panels of the series ofinner liner panels having an intermediate liner, and a combined size corresponding to a respective one inner liner, of g ttl g f f lmumtdlne for tormmg one of Silltl intermediate liner and said inner liner an a u mg si e oin h. win four seriall hm ed 'mels, the ends of the said abutting corner oint of the intermediate liner grieggof one line: i able f fwmin I being in the corner where the joint is formed in the p p i g mt r box abutting corner oint; (C I said abutting side joint of the inner liner being in a 5 i y i ij i' lmer f f j side extending from the corner where the joint is Send"), hinged panels um formed in the Outer b0 'md panels of the series of other liner panels having a combined size corres ondm t '1 r s W i said outer box side panels, said intermediate liner h I f 9 panels and said inner liner panels forming respec- L 'T 3 O Mud hner or Ormmg abutting tive plies ofthe sides of the container with the inner i I liner panels glued to respective intermediate liner Mud f i Mud i f hner panels and lower portions of the intermediate liner R i :3? i f l g h 'j panels glued to the respective lower portions of the p O t e M O t e e "l Outer box side pmek liner panels glued to respective intermediate liner 3. A hlminmcd container comprising 4() panels and lower portions of the intermediate liner an outer box having five serially hinged side panels, panels glue? to the respecnve lower pomms of the a bottom, and a top, one of said outer box side panf boxflcle pallelsi els being on one end of the series of outer box side Smd tear smplmcludlng a pmr of tabs formed m one panels for overlapping the outer box side panel on 4; of the Outer box panels Spaced from the ners thereof for forming two separate portims of the tear strip running in opposite directions.

6. A laminated container as claimed in claim 5 wherein one of the portions of the tear strip is substantially longer than the other portion of the tear strip with the shorter portion of the tear strip being entirely in the outer box side panel on the other end of the series of outer box side panels.

7. A laminated container as claimed in claim 6 wherein the bottom of the box is a bellows bottom including first and second rectangular panels hinged to respective first and second opposing side panels of the outer box;

first and second triangular panels hinged to respective third and fourth opposing side panels of the outer box;

a third triangular panel hinged at first and second score lines to the respective first rectangular panel and first triangular panel,

a fourth triangular panel hinged at third and fourth score lines to the respective first rectangular panel and second triangular panel,

the other end of the series of outer box side panels to form a joint, said outer box side panels having a tear strip extending longitudinally along the series of outer box side panels a predetermined distance below the top for separating a top portion of the outer box from a lower portion of the outer box;

an intermediate liner; and

an inner liner;

said inner liner having four serially hinged panels, the ends of the series of inner liner panels capable of forming an abutting corner joint;

said intermediate liner having five serially hinged panels. the end panels of the series of intermediate liner panels having a combined size corresponding to a respective one of the panels of said inner liner for forming an abutting side joint:

said abutting corner joint of the inner layer being in the corner diagonally opposite to the corner of the joint formed in the outer box;

said abutting sidejoint of the intermediate liner being in a side extending from the corner diagonally opposite to the corner of the joint formed in the outer box; and

7 v a fifth triangular panel hinged at fifth and sixth score layers sandwiched between three flat layers.

lines to the respective second rectangular panel 10. Aluminated container as claimed inclaim l and first triangular panel, and V v wherein a sixth triangular panel hinged at seventh and eighth the abutting corner joint of the one liner is in the corscore lines to the respective second rectangular ner where the joint is formed in the outer box, and panel and second triangular panel. the abutting side joint of the other liner is in a side ex- 8. A laminated container as claimed in claim I tending from the corner where the joint is formed wherein I in the outerbox.

the outer box, the intermediate liner, and the inner ll. A laminated container as claimed in claim 1 liner are made of corrugated paperboard. 10 wherein 9. A laminated container as claimed in claim 8 the abutting corner joint of the one lineris in the corwherein ner diagonally opposite to the corner of the joint the outer box is made of a corrugated paperboard formed in the outer box, and j having a single corrugated layer sandwiched bethe abutting side joint of the other liner is in a side extween two flat layers, and 5 tending from the corner diagonally opposite to the the intermediate liner and the inner liner are made of corner of the joint formed in the outer box.

a corrugated paperboard having two corrugated 

1. A laminated container comprising an outer box having five serially hinged side panels, a bottom, and a top, one of said outer box side panels being on one end of the series of outer box side panels for overlapping the outer box side panel on the other end of the series of outer box side panels to form a joint, said outer box side panels having a tear strip extending longitudinally along the series of outer box side panels a predetermined distance below the top for separating a top portion of the outer box from a lower portion of the outer box; an intermediate liner; and an inner liner; one of said intermediate liner and said inner liner having four serially hinged panels, the ends of the series of one liner panels forming an abutting corner joint without any substantial separation of the abutting ends of the series of one liner panels; the other of said intermediate liner and said inner liner having five serially hinged panels, the end panels of the series of other liner panels having a combined size corresponding to a respective one of the panels of said one liner and forming an abutting side joint without any substantial separation of the abutting ends of the series of other liner panels; said outer box side panels, said intermediate liner panels and said inner liner panels forming respective plies of the sides of the container with the inner liner panels glued to respective intermediate liner panels and lower portions of the intermediate liner panels glued to the respective lower portions of the outer box side panels.
 2. A laminated container comprising an outer box having five serially hinged side panels, a bottom, and a top, one of said outer box side panels being on one end of the series of outer box side panels for overlapping the outer box side panel on the other end of the series of outer box side panels to form a joint, said outer box side panels having a tear strip extending longitudinally along the series of outer box side panels a predetermined distance below the top for separating a top portion of the outer box from a lower portion of the outer box; an intermediate liner; and an inner liner; said intermediate liner having four serially hinged panels, the ends of the series of intermediate liner panels capable of forming an abutting corner joint; said inner liner having five serially hinged panels, the end panels of the series of inner liner panels having a combined size corresponding to a respective one of the panels of said intermediate liner for forming an abutting side joint; said abutting corner joint of the intermediate liner being in the corner where the joint is formed in the outEr box; said abutting side joint of the inner liner being in a side extending from the corner where the joint is formed in the outer box; and said outer box side panels, said intermediate liner panels and said inner liner panels forming respective plies of the sides of the container with the inner liner panels glued to respective intermediate liner panels and lower portions of the intermediate liner panels glued to the respective lower portions of the outer box side panels.
 3. A laminated container comprising an outer box having five serially hinged side panels, a bottom, and a top, one of said outer box side panels being on one end of the series of outer box side panels for overlapping the outer box side panel on the other end of the series of outer box side panels to form a joint, said outer box side panels having a tear strip extending longitudinally along the series of outer box side panels a predetermined distance below the top for separating a top portion of the outer box from a lower portion of the outer box; an intermediate liner; and an inner liner; said inner liner having four serially hinged panels, the ends of the series of inner liner panels capable of forming an abutting corner joint; said intermediate liner having five serially hinged panels, the end panels of the series of intermediate liner panels having a combined size corresponding to a respective one of the panels of said inner liner for forming an abutting side joint; said abutting corner joint of the inner layer being in the corner diagonally opposite to the corner of the joint formed in the outer box; said abutting side joint of the intermediate liner being in a side extending from the corner diagonally opposite to the corner of the joint formed in the outer box; and said outer box side panels, said intermediate liner panels and said inner liner panels forming respective plies of the sides of the container with the inner liner panels glued to respective intermediate liner panels and lower portions of the intermediate liner panels glued to the respective lower portions of the outer box side panels.
 4. A laminated container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tear strip includes an adhesive tear tape attached to an interior surface of the outer box side panels.
 5. A laminated container comprising an outer box having five serially hinged side panels, a bottom, and a top, one of said outer box side panels being on one end of the series of outer box side panels for overlapping the outer box side panel on the other end of the series of outer box side panels to form a joint, said outer box side panels having a tear strip extending longitudinally along the series of outer box side panels a predetermined distance below the top for separating a top portion of the outer box from a lower portion of the outer box; an intermediate liner; and an inner liner; one of said intermediate liner and said inner liner having four serially hinged panels, the ends of the series of one liner panels capable of forming an abutting corner joint; the other of said intermediate liner and said inner liner having five serially hinged panels, the end panels of the series of other liner panels having a combined size corresponding to a respective one of the panels of said one liner for forming an abutting side joint; said outer box side panels, said intermediate liner panels and said inner liner panels forming respective plies of the sides of the container with the inner liner panels glued to respective intermediate liner panels and lower portions of the intermediate liner panels glued to the respective lower portions of the outer box side panels; and said tear strip including a pair of tabs formed in one of the outer box side panels spaced from the corners thereof for forming two separate portions of the tear strip running in opposite directions.
 6. A laminated container as claimed in claim 5 wherein one of the portions of thE tear strip is substantially longer than the other portion of the tear strip with the shorter portion of the tear strip being entirely in the outer box side panel on the other end of the series of outer box side panels.
 7. A laminated container as claimed in claim 6 wherein the bottom of the box is a bellows bottom including first and second rectangular panels hinged to respective first and second opposing side panels of the outer box; first and second triangular panels hinged to respective third and fourth opposing side panels of the outer box; a third triangular panel hinged at first and second score lines to the respective first rectangular panel and first triangular panel, a fourth triangular panel hinged at third and fourth score lines to the respective first rectangular panel and second triangular panel, a fifth triangular panel hinged at fifth and sixth score lines to the respective second rectangular panel and first triangular panel, and a sixth triangular panel hinged at seventh and eighth score lines to the respective second rectangular panel and second triangular panel.
 8. A laminated container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer box, the intermediate liner, and the inner liner are made of corrugated paperboard.
 9. A laminated container as claimed in claim 8 wherein the outer box is made of a corrugated paperboard having a single corrugated layer sandwiched between two flat layers, and the intermediate liner and the inner liner are made of a corrugated paperboard having two corrugated layers sandwiched between three flat layers.
 10. A laminated container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the abutting corner joint of the one liner is in the corner where the joint is formed in the outer box, and the abutting side joint of the other liner is in a side extending from the corner where the joint is formed in the outer box.
 11. A laminated container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the abutting corner joint of the one liner is in the corner diagonally opposite to the corner of the joint formed in the outer box, and the abutting side joint of the other liner is in a side extending from the corner diagonally opposite to the corner of the joint formed in the outer box. 